The Crosbys love affair with boats seems to have started in the 1970s when they first hired boats on the River Thames.
The first one was a wooden river launch
which leaked in the weeks rains and left the family with sodden
bedding! Despite this the family returned the following year.
This time a glass-fibre boat called GAY
BAHAMA TWO was hired.
This lead eventually to the purchase of a 20ft, aluminium
hulled cruiser,MARY POPPINS.
This photograph is dated May 1975
In time this was replaced with COLLIE,
a Dawncraft, fibreglass, narrow-beamed cruiser.
COLLIE was replaced by COLLIE
II an all steel narrowboat. Starting life as a 32ft hire boat called THREE
OF CLUBS, it was later 'stretched' to 40ft.
COLLIE II can
be seen here on dry dock at Langley Mill, Erewash Canal along side n/b
THOMAS COVENANT. In 1988 Kenn commissioned the building
of n/b THOMAS COVENANT, a 60ft tug, styled
after the Birmingham Canal Navigations tugs.
COLLIE II
& THOMAS COVENANT
moored outside one of our favourite watering holes, The
Malt Shovel at Shardlow on the Trent & Mersey Canal. Another favourite watering
hole was the Navigation Inn at Barrow-on-Soar.
In the early morning mist, THOMAS
sets off across Brayford Pool, Lincoln, Fossdyke & Whitham Navigation, towing
COLLIE II
close behind in a method called cross-strapping. THOMAS
had brought COLLIE II
down the tidal River Trent from Nottingham and Mel & Joan had arrived by
road the night before. The boats set off the next morning before they had awoken!